Window regulator



Sept. 1, 1936. J. H. RoETHEL WINDOW REGULATOR Original Filed June 10, 1932 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. l, 1936 UTED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW REGULATOR John H. Roethel, Detroit, Mich.

6 Claims. (Cl. 268-126) 'I'hisinvention relates to regulators or controlling mechanism for windows, particularly, though not exclusively, for use in motor vehicles, and is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.

5. 616,511, led June 10, 1932, an object of the in- '.vention being to provide improved means of relatively simple economical and durable construction for raising and lowering the window.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved window regulator or mechanism especially adapted for installation, for example, in the body or door of an automobile, and in which improved gear mechanism is provided for operating a pair of swinging arms adapted to be connected to the lower edge of the window for raising and lowering the window.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved counter-balancing means whereby equal tension will at all times be exerted upon the swinging arms, thus reducing the amount of manual pressure required to operate the regulator, and at the same time increasing the smoothness of performance and eiiicency of the device.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and appended claims,

when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. l

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the regulator mechanism of my invention, the supporting plate being partly broken away for exposing a portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially along the line 2-'-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Before explaining in detail the present invention 'it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not lntended to limit the invention claimed herein be- 5o yond the requirements of the prior art.

In accordance with the present form of the invention, herein illustrated by way of example, there is provided a supporting plate I which is s ured within the body or dooroi the vehicle by 85 th customary wood screws or the like. The plate is provided with the usual screw bosses having holes 2 for the reception of the attaching screws. 'I'he plate I is also preferably reinforced by embossing 3. Mounted upon the supporting plate for swinging movement in opposite directions is 5 a pair of bars or lever arms 4 and 5, these arms being slidingly connected at their outer ends to metallic guide members 6 which are attached to the usual `longitudinal metal channel B secured at the lower edge of the window glass A. The 10 guide members 6 at the lower edge of the window are provided with elongated slots or openings I for reception of headed studs 8 riveted to the outer ends of the arms 4 and 5, see particularly Fig. 3. The body portions or shanks of the studs 8 are 15 adapted to slide freely between the upper and lower horizontal edges of the guide slots 1, and the connections between the parts are maintained against rattling by means of metal cup washers 9, leather washers I0 and coil springs II 20 interposed between the guide members 6 and the swinging arms 4 and 5. The guide slots 1 preferably terminate at their adjacent inner ends in enlarged openings, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. to permit the insertion of the headed studs 8 into 25 the guide slots.

In the present instance, the swinging arm or bar 4 is secured by a rivet I3 to a compound gear which, as shown, comprisesv an outer gear segment I2 of relatively large diameter and a gear 23 o! 30 relatively smaller diameter, these gears preferably belng punched from the same metal blank. The compound gear I2, 23 is permanently fixed to a lateral shaft or pivot I4 rotatable in a suitable bearing I1 formed in the supporting plate I. 35 One end of the shaft or pivot I4 is preferably secured to the arm 4 by riveting, as shown, and the opposite end has a slot within which is anchored one end of a double or compound counterbalancing spring I6. The other swinging arm or bar 5 is, 40 in the present embodiment, secured to a gear I8 by means of a rivet I9, and it is also fastened, as by riveting, to the outer end of a shaft or pivot 20 .rotatable in a suitable bearing 22 formed in the supporting plate I. The inner end of the shaft 45 or pivot 20 has a slot within which is anchored the other end of the double or compound spring IB. It will be understood that the compound gear I2, 23 is iixed to the stud or shaft I4 and that the gear I8 is in turn fixed to the stud or shaft 20. 5o

'I'he compound spring I6 comprises two similar sets of windings produced from a single metal strand IBa, one end of the continuous spring being thus fastened to the stud I4 and the other end to the stud 20.

In the presentinstance the gear 23 has the same diameter as gear I8 with which it meshes. Gear sector I2 is formed so that at the termination of its teeth there are provided positive stops I5 engageable with the connecting gear I8 to limit the rotating movement of gear I2 and thereklby limit the operation of the arms 4 and 5 both in lowering and in elevating the window glass. Gear sector I2 also meshes with. a gear 24 which is connected with a gear 25, the gears 24 and 25 being permanently fixed to a lateral shaft 26. The metal of plate I is depressed to form a bearing 21 for the said shaft and this shaft has a shouldered end riveted over a plate 28. The metal of plate I is also depressed or embossed upon its rear surface as at 29 to reduce the contact surface between the adjacent surfaces of plate I and gear 25. Gear 25 meshes with a pinion 30 permanently fixed to a lateral shaft 3 I the metal of plate I being depressed as at 32 to form a bearing for the outer end of said shaft. A suitable crank handle of any conventional type (not shown) is connected to the inner end of the shaft 3| so that upon turning the .handle the arms 4 and 5 will be swung in opposite directions through the gearing to raise and lower the window.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the swinging arm 4 is attached through its pivot or shaft I4`to a compound gear formed from a. single metal blank, comprising a gear portion 23 having the same diameter as the gear I8 and also comprising a gear portion or sector I2 of larger diameter which is driven from an operating handle through the medium of gears 30, 25 and 24. The position of vthe terminal ends I5 of gear sector I2 determines the range of swinging movement of the arms 4 and 5 in both directions, since the ends I5 provide stops effective upon engagement with the gear I8 to limit the movement of the arms. This operation is obtained by reason of the fact that the gear portions I2 and 23 vlie in a common plane coincident with the plane of the gear I8. It will further be seen that I have provided a counterbalancing spring for the swinging arms, this spring being formed into two sets of reverse windings from a single continuous strand, one set being connected with each of the swinging arms 4- and 5. A relatively simple spring construction is thus provided as a result of which equal tension will at all times be exerted upon the arms. By providing a one-piece spring in which the convolutions. are Wound in oppiosite or reverse directions, the outward oppositely' swinging movement of the arms tightens the windings and places the convolutions under equal tension and makes for smoother action of the parts. The energy thus stored up in the two windings, assists the closing movement of the window when the arms are moved inwardlyin unison toward one another.

I claim:

1. In a window regulator, the combination of a window, a fixed supporting plate, a pair of oppositely swinging arms connected at .their outer ends to the window, means for swinging said varms to raise and lower the window, and a single counterbalancing spring having reverse sets of windings, one set connected with keach arm and both 'sets a window,

ing of the window.

formed from a single continuous length of strand to resist tilting of the window.

2. In a window regulator, the combination of a window, a support, a pair of arms connected at their outer ends to the window and adapted to swing in opposite directions and in unison for raising and lowering the window, said arms being pivoted on the support, and a pair of spaced spring coils formed from a continuous length of strand and connected to said arms to place substantially equal tension on the arms during the swinging movement thereof and resist tilting of the window. 4

3. In aI windowregulator, the combination of a window, a support, a pair of swinging arms connected to the window and pivoted on the support for swinging movement to raise and lower the window, means for swinging said arms in opposite directions, and a coiled spring for each arm, each spring comprising a set of windings connected at one end to an arm, the opposite corresponding ends of the springs being joined together, said springs operating in unison to apply substantially equal tension to the arms during swinging movement thereof and resist tilting of the window.

4. In a window regulator, the combination of a. Window, a support, a pair of oppositely swinging arms'connected to the window and pivoted on the support for swinging movement to raise and lower the window, means for swinging said arms,

and a coiled spring for each arm, said springsy comprising spaced sets of convolutions wound in reverse directions and each connected at its inner end to an arm, the outer convolution of one spring being an integral continuation of the outer convolution of the other spring, to resist tilting of the window.

5. In a window regulator, the combination of a support, a pair of oppositely swinging arms connected to the window and pivoted on the support for swinging movement to raise and lower the window, and a coiled spring for each arm, said springs comprising sets of spiral convolutions, each set connected at its center to the pivot of one of the arms and the outer convolution of one spring forming an integral continuation of the outer convolution of the other spring whereby said springs are conjointly operable to equalize the tension applied to the arms during the swinging movement of the latter and thereby resist tilting of the window.

6. In a window regulator, the combination of a window, a support, a pair of swinging arms connected to the window and pivoted on the support for swinging movement to raise and low'er the window, means for swinging said arms in opposite directions at the same time, and a coiled spring for each arm, said springs comprising sets of spiral convolutions, each connected at its center to the pivot of one of the arms and the outer convolution of one spring forming an integral continuation of the outer convolution of the other spring, whereby said springs during swinging movement of the arms will be wound or unwound in unison and under equal tension to resist tilt- JOHN H. ROETHEL. 

